What Does DIFFERENT Mean?

When I’m out on the street, in stores or offices, I may hear at least three different languages: English, Spanish, and/or Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese . . .

Each of these languages represents a different culture and different belief system.
In Seattle, the international airport has instructions in English and Japanese. Probably the majority of airports in the US have instructions in English and Spanish. Many business automatic phone responses say: “Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish.”

Because I lived in another country and learned how to bond into it, I recognize many of the feelings of being “lost” in the USA of today.
I’m being forced to learn the culture of a country I don’t know, a country that doesn’t even know itself.

I painfully realize that I am, once again, going through culture shock. And lucky you, who have never traveled outside of the US! you don’t even have to leave the country to experience culture shock. It’s HERE!

Am I to get so irritated with all of the changes that I think about nothing else? Or hide out in my home or apartment and pretend there are no changes? Do either of these questions resonate with you?

From where I stand, it looks like we have three basic choices with many variations.

Denial – attempting to keep some form of normalcy in our homes and avoiding what is happening outside.

Give in – to the merry-go-round – and give up: let everyone do what they want. Jump into the culture and get what you can.

Or – find some place where we can place our feet that is solid and does not change, so we can see the reality of our circumstances

I desire to share with you different concepts that helped me learn to live in Brazil, and the concepts that are helping me now. For we are definitely on a journey as this country changes and as the world changes: an age that many believe are the last days talked about in the Bible.

When one is in the midst of chaos and change, one needs a point of reference and stability that does not change.